Concept Lore
Based on a being of Malphite's world/or from The Crystal Scar. Corrupted by chaotic magics, Rhyodacite has lost sight of his purpose, leaving him a brutal beast with brief moments of lucidity.
Concept Game-Play
(He runs like a gorilla, hits like a rhino) I think of Rhyodacite as a tank with a lot of rushing moves -- something any Champion would be scared to see coming at them. He's made for players who like to play fast tank champs that can still deal damage. Unlike Malphite, who has one projectile, two melee moves, and one rush/popup being an ultimate... I think of Rhyo as having shields/defensive steroids/and full body skillshot rushes (Like Sejuani). I also think of him having a lot of displacement effects in those abilities. Such as soft knockbacks from his center, and hard knockbacks from his area of attack (Riven's 3rd Broken Wings, Alistar Headbutt). Another idea I've thought (borrowing from Malphite's Q's visual) is that he creates damage in his wake; use a rushing move, tear up the earth in your path. It may be better to think of Rhyo as a missile that erupts forward from the ground, as opposed to Malphite -- who strikes me as more of a wrecking ball.
Art Direction
His gorilla stance and protruding rock shapes from his back point forward and out -- this is to denote that he's a fast, heavy, all-in champion. The only way to play him is to commit to a rush forward. I think the biggest hiccup in his design actually comes from absence of game-play, cause there's only so much I can push his look to fit his kit -- which doesn't actually exist. His earth elemental appearance is to denote that this character does function as a tank as well as being able to deal damage.
Revision 1
I drew Rhyo into his default stance to better illustrate his character. Connecting his arms, neck, and portions of his back are tree roots. This is to differentiate him from Malphite. The rock protrusions have been sharpened as well, to dictate his direct game-play.
